Explained : Centre notifies questionnaire for Phase I of Census 2027 and Its Impact

New Delhi [India], January 22 : The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday issued a notification detailing the questionnaire to be used for Phase I of the Census of India 2027, which covers the Houselisting and Housing Census.

The notification, issued by the Office of the Registrar General of India, authorised census officials to collect specified housing and household-related information across the country.

Exercising powers under Section 8(1) of the Census Act, 1948, the Central Government has superseded an earlier notification issued in January 2020, while safeguarding actions already undertaken under the previous provisions.

As per the latest notification, Census Officers will be permitted to collect data within their respective jurisdictions using a structured household listing and housing census schedule.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 8 of the Census Act, 1948 (37 of 1948), and in supersession of the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs (Office of the Registrar General, India) number S.O. 120(E), dated the 7th January,2020 published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), dated the 9th January, 2020, except as respects things done or omitted to be done before such supersession, the Central Government hereby instructs that all the Census Officers may, within the limits of the local areas for which they have been respectively appointed, ask all such questions from all persons on the items enumerated below for collecting information through the houselisting and housing census schedule in connection with the Census of India 2027,” reads the notification.

The notified questionnaire includes 33 items of information, covering details such as building and census house numbers, materials used in floors, walls and roofs, condition and use of houses, household size, ownership status and the number of dwelling rooms. It also seeks demographic information about the head of household, including gender and social category.

Further, data will be collected on the availability of basic amenities such as drinking water, electricity, toilets, bathing facilities, kitchens and LPG and PNG connections, along with details on cooking fuel, waste water outlets and access to communication and transport facilities, including internet, mobile phones, computers, televisions and vehicles. Mobile numbers will be collected strictly for census-related communication purposes, the notification clarified.

The Ministry has also stated that the questionnaire for Phase II of the Census of India 2027, which pertains to Population Enumeration, will be notified separately in due course.

The notification, signed by Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, provides the administrative framework for conducting Phase I of the nationwide census exercise.

On January 7, the MHA had notified that the houselisting operations for the Census of India 2027 will be conducted between April 1 and September 30 this year across all states and Union Territories (UTs). The houselisting exercise will be carried out over a 30-day period to be specified separately by each state and UT within the notified timeframe.

The government had also provided an option for self-enumeration, which will be conducted for a 15-day period immediately prior to the commencement of the house-to-house houselisting operations.

In the recently concluded winter session, the MHA informed the Lok Sabha that the upcoming Census 2027 exercise will take place in two stages, beginning with houselisting and housing data collection in 2026.

The first phase will be carried out over a 30-day period between April and September 2026, based on timelines decided by respective states and Union territories. The second phase, involving the population enumeration, is scheduled for February 2027.

Responding to a question from Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai reaffirmed that March 1, 2027, at 00:00 hours will serve as the reference date for enumeration across the country. However, for Ladakh and snow-bound regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the population count will be conducted earlier in September 2026 with October 1, 2026 as the reference date.

When asked whether the government would incorporate lessons and best practices from earlier census rounds, including caste-based surveys conducted in some states, Rai said the process already factors in learnings from previous exercises and stakeholder consultations.

Regarding public input on questionnaire drafting, the MHA stated that census questions are finalised only after discussions with relevant ministries, user organisations, and subject experts. The draft questionnaires undergo field testing to evaluate practicality before being notified in the official gazette.

A nationwide pre-test for Census 2027 concluded on November 30 and the final questionnaire is expected to be released shortly, the Ministry added.

The houselisting phase pilot conducted between November 10 and 30, 2025, also tested the digital data collection model and allowed respondents to self-enumerate between November 1 and 7, 2025.

As per Rule 6 of the Census Rules, 1990, the census questionnaires and schedules are notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette under sub-section (1) of section 8 of the Act. The Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner is in the process of finalising the questionnaire.

During the Census, the MHA told the Lok Sabha that the primary school teachers are usually appointed as enumerators. “The timeline for Census 2027 has been kept same like the past practices followed in previous censuses.”

In the Census, it further said, Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are enumerated strictly as per the notified list of SCs and STs, notified vide the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 (as amended time to time).

It was later informed that in Census 2027, caste enumeration will be done as decided by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs vide its decision dated April 30, 2025. “The census questions are notified after finalisation. Under sub-section (2) of section 8 of the Census Act, 1948, the respondent is required to answer questions to the best of his knowledge or belief.”

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Open in app